City of Los Angeles Housing Element 2013-2021

On December 3, 2013, the Los Angeles City Council adopted the update to the Housing Element of the General Plan. The final document is available below as well as on the Department of City Planning web page here:

A printable two-page summary of the Housing Element project can be found here.

A printable set of graphic information boards that attempt to explain some of the major topic areas found in the Housing Element can be found here.

What is a Housing Element?

A Housing Element of the General Plan is meant to provide the
primary policy guidance forlocal
decision making regarding housing programs and decisions. It isa comprehensive statement of City need, constraints and
strategies toprovide housing opportunities to existing and future
residents.

The Housing Element begins with a detailed
analysis of the City’sdemographic, economic and housing
characteristics. It also provides areview of the City’s progress in implementing the previous
Element'shousing policies and programs related to
housing production andpreservation. Based on the needs, constraints
and opportunities, theHousing Element identifies goals, objectives,
policies andimplementable programs that address the housing
needs of present andfuture residents.

Housing element law requires that cities
adequately plan to meet theexisting
and projected housing needs of all economic segments of thecommunity. The number of housing units each community must
plan andaccommodate during the 8-year period is called
the Regional HousingNeeds Assessment (RHNA) allocation. The
allocation takes housingaffordability into account, by requiring that a
percentage of units beable to be built at sufficient density to be
affordable.

The Housing Element is the only General Plan element that is required by to be reviewed and certified by a State agency - the Department of Housing and Community Development (HCD).

Local jurisdictions throughout Southern California are expected to help remedy
the region’s affordable housing deficit. The Southern California Association of
Governments (SCAG) is the agency responsible for equitably allocating housing
units to area cities and counties. The draft 2014-2021 Regional Housing
Need Allocation Plan sets a need for 412,716 additional housing units in the 6-county
region, with 82,002 of these units allocated to the City of Los Angeles. This
need is divided among various income groups, including 20,427 for very-low
income households, 12,435 for low-income households, and 13,728 for moderate
income households.

While the City is not responsible for assuring that this number
of units is actually built during the 2014 – 2021 planning period, it is
responsible for establishing a regulatory and land-use policy that that
provides the opportunity for this number of new units to be built. The
requirement is in line with the City's goal of providing an adequate supply of
housing accessible to persons of all income levels.

Housing Element in Relation to the General Plan

The California Government Code requires internal consistency among the various
elements of a General Plan. In Los Angeles, this means consistency with
the Framework and Land Use Elements found in the City's 35 Community Plans.
Both embrace a vision of targeting and accommodating residential growth in
areas where sufficient infrastructure already exists, including near transit
and existing community centers. Any actual changes to land-use would occur
through a regular community planning process.

What the Housing Element Does Not Do:

The Housing Element does not alter the development potential of any site in the City, nor modify
land use of the Zoning Code. It also does not undermine, in any way,
neighborhood planning efforts such as Community Plans, Specific Plans or
Historic Preservation Overlay Zones. While the State requires the City to
evaluate and plan for the existing capacity to accommodate future projected
growth, the Housing Element does not have any material effect on development
patterns, nor specify areas for increased height or density.

Who Can You Contact for More Information?

If you would like more information regarding the LA Housing
Element or would like to make a comment on the plan, please contact Matthew Glesne at
matthew.glesne@lacity.org / 213.978.2666. Comments will be received up to August 15, 2013. Also, please make plans to attend the Open House/Public Hearing on July 27th.